Government Policy

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what role his Department has in improving the strategic coherence of Government policy.

Jim Murphy: The Cabinet Office coordinates policy and operations across Government through the secretariats and the Government Communication Unit.
	Under its objectives the Cabinet Office seeks to improve delivery by building capacity in Departments and the public services through the Delivery and Reform Group.

Agricultural Subsidies

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will consult hon. Members on agricultural subsidies before attending World Trade Organisation talks in Hong Kong.

Jim Knight: The European Commission has competency for trade negotiations and negotiates within a mandate given to them by the EU member states. The Commission therefore negotiated on behalf of the EU at the World Trade Organisation talks in Hong Kong.
	My right hon. Friend Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, reported to hon. Members on the whole of the Doha Development Agenda (of which agricultural subsidies is one part) straight after the WTO ministerial conference.
	The Government's overall, long-term approach to agricultural subsidies was published in December 2005 and copies have been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. The aim of this vision paper is to stimulate a full debate with stakeholders within the UK and across Europe on the future of the CAP.

Catering/Entertainment Contracts

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total value is of (a) catering and (b) entertainment contracts let by her Department; and what value of such contracts has been let in each nation and region of the United Kingdom, including London.

Jim Knight: From information held centrally, the total value of expenditure by core-Defra on catering contracts in financial year 2004–05 was £281,413; on hospitality was £370,544; and on conference facilities was £1,105,762. The expenditure figures for catering contracts, hospitality and conference facilities for the first six months of financial year 2005–06 are £494,864, £208,394 and £354,162 respectively.
	The Department would incur disproportionate costs in breaking down the figures above to each nation and region of the United Kingdom, and London, requested by the hon. Member. The Department does not hold centrally the requested expenditure information pertaining to its executive agencies, non-departmental public bodes, independent statutory bodies, organisations and bodies financially sponsored by the Department.

Farm Incomes

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farming households in (a) England, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) Kettering constituency have household incomes below the Department's low income threshold.

Jim Knight: Defra does not have its own low-income threshold. A measure of low-income is specified by the Department for Work and Pensions who define the threshold as 60 per cent, of median household income. The latest data we were able to obtain for this threshold is taken from the 2005 Social Trends publications produced by the Office for National Statistics. This indicated that in 2002–03, the low income threshold was around £10,000 (£194 per week).
	For the year ending February 2005, Farm Business Survey results showed that 16 per cent. of farming households 1 in England had a household income below £10,000 and 12 per cent. in the Government office region of East Midlands. Data for Northamptonshire and Kettering are not available due to insufficient farms in the survey.
	In 2002–03, the proportion of all households in the UK below the threshold was 17 per cent. and this helps to put the figures for farming households into context with the wider population. No equivalent data are available for the East Midlands, Northamptonshire or Kettering.
	1 Sample based on farms greater than 0.5 Standard Labour Requirement

Peatbogs

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken to protect the additional peatbogs designated as special areas of conservation in 2002, with particular reference to halting the commercial extraction of peat.

Jim Knight: The peatbogs at Thorne Moor, Hatfield Moor and Wedholme Flow, which have been accepted as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), now have the highest levels of protection against disturbance or damage under the Habitats Regulations (1994). Where necessary, these Regulations also allow for a review of extraction licences in SACs.
	Consultations on the remaining two sites, at Bolton Fell Moss and Solway Moss, are continuing because there are still some conflicting scientific views about their eligibility. They cannot be submitted to the European Commission or formally designated as SACs until this is resolved. If the conclusion is that they are eligible, we will take immediate steps to progress their formal designation.

Public Bodies/Agencies

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff were employed by non-departmental public bodies and agencies for which she has responsibility in (a) total and (b) each (i) nation and (ii) region of the UK and (c) London in 2004–05.

Jim Knight: Total executive NDPB staff numbers by department as at 31 March 2005 are recorded in Table 2 of Public Bodies 2005, a copy of which is in the Library of the House, and which is available online at: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/the-future-of-the-civil-service/agencies-and-public-bodies/publications/pdf/public-bodies/publicbodies2005.pdf.
	The NDPB data does not detail the regional breakdowns requested, and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The number of staff in individual executive agencies as at 1 April 2004, including a regional analysis, is available in Civil Service Statistics 2004 which was published in February 2005, a copy of which is in House Libraries. It is also available online at: http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_of_the_civil_service/statistics/contents_for_ civil_service_statistics_2004_report/number_of_civil_ser vants/index.asp.

Snares

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will take steps to introduce a statutory code of practice on the use of snares;
	(2)  if she will seek to introduce a legal requirement to have a stop on snares;
	(3)  if she will commission further research into the use of animal snares, with particular reference to (a) the welfare impacts and (b) alternative methods of control.

Jim Knight: On 19 October 2005 Defra published the report of the independent snares working group, the Defra Snares Action Plan and the Defra Code of Good Practice on the use of Snares in Fox and Rabbit Control in England. These documents can be found on the Defra website: http://www.Defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/snares/index.htm.
	The action plan sets out our response to the recommendations of the snares working group and the action we will take over the next three years. This includes reviewing the Code of Practice and considering if it should be legally binding.

Road Congestion

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for reducing congestion on the road network.

Stephen Ladyman: We are tackling congestion with targeted strategies developed with national and local agencies—investing more in the road network, including new capacity where it's justified, trialling innovative new traffic management systems, and exploring the benefits of new ways to manage demand for road space—including road pricing.

Urban Traffic

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the typical proportion of urban traffic between 8.00 am and 9.30 am during term time which is related to journeys to and from school.

Karen Buck: Data from the National Travel Survey suggests that in 2004 on weekdays in term time around 15 per cent. of car trips in progress between 8 am and 9.30 am were for the purpose of taking children to school.

Railways

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of passengers who will be using the UK's railways by 2014.

Derek Twigg: The Department's estimates for rail use in future years are for passenger kilometres rather than numbers of passengers. Our latest published projections show rail passenger kilometres increasing by 33 per cent. between 2000 and 2010 and by 1.3 per cent. a year from 2010 to 2025.

Railways

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are for replacing the high speed train fleet serving the Greater Western franchise.

Derek Twigg: The Department is leading a project to procure a high-quality, modern replacement for the very successful existing high speed train fleet. We anticipate the first replacement trains entering into service during the lifetime of the new Greater Western franchise.

Railways

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the operation of sections (a) 1 and (b) 2 of the Railways Act 2005.

Derek Twigg: Section 1 of the Railways Act 2005 provides for the abolition of the Strategic Rail Authority and for the reallocation of its functions, where they are not discontinued. Subsections (1)-(9) were brought into force in June and July 2005, and most of the SRA's functions and the related property, rights and liabilities have now been transferred. Section 1(10), which enables the Secretary of State to make an order abolishing the SRA, will be brought into force in due course.
	Section 2 transfers safety functions from the Health & Safety Commission and the Health & Safety executive to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). We have consulted on draft regulations on where ORR will enforce the provisions of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. We expect to make the regulations and to transfer safety responsibilities to ORR shortly.

Railways

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements he has made to manage the transition of South East Trains to Govia; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Work to ensure a smooth transition of South Eastern trains to the new IKF Franchisee commenced on the 1st December. A plan to manage the transition has been agreed and officials from the Department regularly meet representatives of Govia and South Eastern trains to ensure that all regulatory and contractual requirements will be met to enable the new franchise to commence on 1 April 2006.

Speed Cameras

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the use of speed cameras on roads.

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of speed cameras on roads.

Stephen Ladyman: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, made a written statement on 15 December last year, announcing the publication of the independent four year evaluation report on the national safety camera programme, and also announcing changes to the future funding and administration of safety cameras. The independent report confirms that safety cameras continue to be highly effective in reducing speeding, accidents and casualties at camera sites.

Ports

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the development of road and rail infrastructure to ports in England and Wales.

Stephen Ladyman: The current ports policy framework, "Modern Ports", acknowledges that the Government have an important role, alongside ports themselves, in ensuring that the best use is made of existing infrastructure, and that opportunities are sought to improve port access. We will be looking closely at this issue in the forthcoming review of ports policy.

Civil Contingencies Reaction Force

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the (a) established and (b) actual strength is of the Civil Contingencies Reaction Force (CCRF); how many members of the CCRF are deployed with the regular forces; what recruiting schemes are in place for the CCRF; and what plans there are for the future size of the force;
	(2)  under what rules of engagement the Civil Contingencies Reaction Force will operate when it is deployed;
	(3)  which Civil Contingencies Reaction Force (CCRF) units are available to assist in the event of a terrorist attack in London; and at what notice to move CCRF units are required to be;
	(4)  under what criteria the Civil Contingencies Reaction Force will be (a) called out and (b) stood-to;
	(5)  at what point after the London underground attacks of 7 July 2005 the Civil Contingencies Reaction Force (CCRF) was called out; and how many members of the CCRF were deployed in response to the (a) 7 July 2005 and (b) 21 July 2005 incidents.

Adam Ingram: Civil Contingency Reaction Forces (CCRFs) are based on the 14 TA Infantry battalions spread across the country. Each CCRF comprises a pool of around 500 personnel drawn from the Volunteer Reserve Forces, who have volunteered for the CCRF commitment in addition to their normal role. CCRF membership is dynamic and details of individual availability, including where volunteers have been deployed as part of their normal Reserve role, are not held centrally. It is, however, the case that when a CCRF member is mobilised to meet other commitments we aim to replace that individual immediately by another volunteer.
	There are no specific recruitment schemes in place, nor are such schemes necessary given that the pool of potential volunteers consists of existing members of the Volunteer Reserves. The future size of the CCRFs is being considered as part of a wider review of the TA.
	CCRFs would not be deployed in a situation which required the use of force so no question of rules of engagement would arise. Volunteers are not held at permanent readiness, although we aim to be able to deploy a CCRF within 24 hours. There are no specific criteria which would lead to a decision to mobilise a CCRF; they form part of the pool of resources upon which we could draw in the event of a request for military assistance.
	While the supporting infrastructure is based on the army's regional structure, it is not the case that a CCRF would only be mobilised to undertake operations within its "home" region. Consequently, all CCRFs are available to undertake operations anywhere in the UK over an extended period, including in London.
	No CCRF members were mobilised in response to the terrorist attacks in London on 7 and 21 July 2005. The civil authorities coped extremely well in the aftermath of the attacks and made no request for military assistance which would have required the sort of large scale general duties support which could be provided by a CCRF.

Credit Card Companies

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on armed forces' personnel of the policies of major credit card companies' failure to recognise the British Forces Post Office as a valid address.

Adam Ingram: There is no failure by major credit card companies to recognise British Forces Post Office (BFPO) addresses as a valid address. Service personnel and their families can use a BFPO address as the registered (home) address for their credit cards where appropriate and many do. Some companies—for their own reasons—will not take orders from, or deliver to, BFPO addresses but the majority are happy to do so. Where this commercial decision is driven by practical factors such as "card not present" identity verification or credit checking requirements, the MOD is supporting the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) in resolving any difficulties.

Credit Card Companies

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to ensure that all UK credit card companies recognise British Forces Post Office addresses as valid addresses for the purpose of making credit card transactions.

Adam Ingram: UK credit card companies already recognise British Forces Post Office (BFPO) addresses as valid addresses for the purposes of making credit card transactions. Also, most companies providing goods and services via the internet and telephone—where "card not present" fraud control measures are necessary—do accept BFPO addresses. Ultimately it is a commercial decision for any company to determine how and where they will provide services. Even so, for the minority that choose not to deal with BFPO addresses, their issues are being explored further by the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) with the assistance of the MOD.

Joint Strike Fighter

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications of the proposal by the US Congress to scrap the F35B version of the Joint Strike Fighter for UK defence procurement.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 December 2005, Official Report, column 1103W, to the hon. Member for New Forest East (Dr. Lewis).

Alcohol Licences

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications have been granted for 24 hour sale of alcohol licences in (a) Swansea East and (b) Wales; and if she will make a statement.

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications have been granted for licences for 24 hour sale of alcohol in (a) Doncaster, (b) Barnsley and (c) South Yorkshire.

James Purnell: This information is held by local licensing authorities.

Energy Efficiency

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what targets she has set for improving energy efficiency in her Department; and what steps she is taking to achieve these targets.

James Purnell: The Department, along with other Government Departments, is committed to achieve the targets under the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate Part E Energy. The targets include energy efficient measures and energy clauses in estate management contracts.
	In order to achieve these targets the Department has developed an energy strategy. This involves identifying potential savings through effective procurement; monitoring and targeting our consumption by analysing data, carrying out energy surveys of usage; capital investment in energy saving measures such as time controls and an awareness campaign amongst staff led by the Department's team of environmental champions.
	The Department is also taking advantage of the planned refurbishment of its Cockspur Street offices to incorporate energy efficient measures such as passive infrared lighting controls.
	The Department is supplied by 100 per cent. renewable energy.

Licensing

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications have been granted for licences for 24 hour sale of alcohol in (a) Bristol and (b) the constituency of Bristol East.

James Purnell: This information is normally available from local licensing authorities but, as announced in our Press Notice of 23 September 2005, Bristol is a scrutiny council with which DCMS is working closely to monitor how the Licensing Act 2003 is being implemented. According to Bristol city council, nine licences for 24-hour sale of alcohol have been granted in Bristol-to three supermarkets, one casino, two restaurants and three nightclubs. The Department does not hold details for Bristol East.

Licensing Hours

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she received from the hospitality sector in Tamworth on the Licensing Act 2003; and if she will make a statement.

James Purnell: The Department has no record of representations from the hospitality industry in Tamworth about the Licensing Act 2003. Last year Ministers in the Department received representations about the Act from two addresses in Tamworth. One of these was from my hon. Friend the Member for Tamworth, enclosing correspondence from a constituent in the attractions sector, to which I replied on 15 July 2005.

Child Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the real terms level of child benefit for (a) the first child and (b) other children was in each year since 197677; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows the weekly child benefit rates for since its introduction in 197778. The figures show the rate for the first child and subsequent children separately, and alongside these figures are the weekly rates in real terms at 200506 prices.
	In addition to receiving child benefit, families in 200102 and 200203 were eligible for children's tax credit. From 200304 onwards families are able to claim child tax credit. Therefore the minimum that a family in receipt of the maximum child tax credit award would receive per week would be 59.90 for a family with one child, and 103.80 for a family with 2 children.
	
		
			  
			  Child benefit weekly rate Child benefit weekly rate at 200506 prices 
			 Year(4) 1st child 2nd and subsequent children 1st child 2nd and subsequent children 
		
		
			 197778 1.00 1.50 4.24 6.35 
			 197879 2.57 2.57 9.80 9.80 
			 197980 4.00 4.00 13.06 13.06 
			 198081 4.27 4.27 11.80 11.80 
			 198182 4.93 4.93 12.44 12.44 
			 198283 5.47 5.47 12.89 12.89 
			 198384 6.09 6.09 13.73 13.73 
			 198485 6.63 6.63 14.20 14.20 
			 198586 6.90 6.90 14.02 14.02 
			 198687 7.07 7.07 13.92 13.92 
			 198788 7.25 7.25 13.52 13.52 
			 198889 7.25 7.25 12.64 12.64 
			 198990 7.25 7.25 11.81 11.81 
			 199091 7.25 7.25 10.94 10.94 
			 199192 (April to September) 8.25 7.25 11.74 10.32 
			 199192 (October to March) 9.25 7.50 13.17 10.68 
			 199293 9.65 7.80 13.30 10.75 
			 199394 10.00 8.10 13.43 10.87 
			 199495 10.20 8.25 13.50 10.92 
			 199596 10.40 8.45 13.38 10.87 
			 199697 10.80 8.80 13.44 10.95 
			 199798 11.05 9.00 13.41 10.92 
			 199899 11.45 9.30 13.50 10.97 
			 19992000 14.40 9.60 16.62 11.08 
			 200001 15.00 10.00 17.11 11.41 
			 200102 15.50 10.35 17.25 11.52 
			 200203 15.75 10.55 16.94 11.35 
			 200304 16.05 10.75 16.78 11.24 
			 200405 16.50 11.05 16.92 11.33 
			 200506 17.00 11.40 17.00 11.40 
		
	
	(4) Prior to 198788, the child benefit weekly rate was often increased in November and not April, so adjustments have been made to calculate the average weekly rate for the financial year

Child Care

Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what role his Department has in the regulation of child care; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: holding answer 17 January 2006
	None. Ofsted regulates child care in England under the policy direction of the Department for Education and Skills.

Child Poverty

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the role of child benefit in reducing child poverty; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the impact of child tax credit on the number of children in relative poverty in each year since 200001; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the likely effects on child poverty in the UK of (a) increasing child benefit by 5 for each child and (b) raising the child element of child tax credit by 500 per year; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of (a) total cost and (b) the effect on the proportion of children living in relative low income households of (i) increasing the rate of child benefit for all children to the rate for the first child and (ii) paying child benefit at the rate of 17.50 for all children aged up to 12 years and 12.00 for other eligible children;
	(5)  what estimate he has made of the cost of eradicating child poverty in the UK by 200708; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Between the mid 1970s and mid 1990s, relative child poverty more than doubled. This Government have committed to halve child poverty by 201011 and to eradicate it by 2020.
	Macro-economic stability, active labour market policies such as the new deal, policies to make work pay such as the national minimum wage and the working tax credit, and financial support for families, have all contributed to reducing child poverty since 199899. On an after housing cost basis, this approach has lifted 600,000 children out of relative poverty (60 per cent. of less of contemporary median income), and 1.8 million children out of absolute poverty (60 per cent. or less of median income in 199697, uprated by prices), between 199899 and 200304. Since 200001, 300,000 children have been lifted out of relative poverty and 800,000 children have been lifted out of absolute poverty.
	Financial support for families has been based on the principle of progressive universalism, with support for all families and additional support for those who need it most. Child benefit provides universal support, and the Government have increased the rate of child benefit for the first child by more than 25 per cent. in real terms since 1997. The child tax credit (CTC) was introduced in April 2003, and targets additional financial support based on the needs and circumstances of the whole household. As a result of the Government's reforms to the tax and benefit system since 1997, by October 2007, in real terms, families with children will be, on average, 1,550 a year better off, while those in the poorest fifth of the income distribution will be, on average, 3,350 per year better off.
	The Government have set out its spending plans to 200708, including a commitment to increase the child element of CTC in line with earnings. While it is possible to model the immediate effect of further changes, there are uncertainties in projecting the numbers of children in relative low income poverty. A further increase of 5 per week in the rate of child benefit would initially lift around 350,000 children out of poverty, at a cost of around 3.4 billion. A further increase of 500 per week in the child element of CTC would initially lift around 750,000 children out of poverty, at a cost of around 3.5 billion. Increasing the rate of child benefit for all children to the rate for the first child would lift around 250,000 children out of poverty, at a cost of around 1.7 billion.
	The Family Resources Survey does not enable the Government to make an estimate of the cost or effect of reducing the rate of child benefit when a child reaches the age of 12. The Government have not made an estimate of the cost of eradicating child poverty by 200708, which would depend on the definition used, and would be subject to large uncertainties around future income growth, changes in the income distribution, and individual changes in behaviour in response to policy changes.

Health Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2005, Official Report, column 1062W, on health expenditure, what percentage of the United Kingdom's gross domestic product he estimates has been spent on health in 200506; what percentage this will be in 200607, broken down by (a) public and (b) private expenditure; and what the most recent estimate is of the (i) EU-15 and (ii) EU-25 average health expenditure as a proportion of gross domestic product.

Des Browne: The information about UK health spending is in the following table. According to the latest figures from the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), average total health expenditure in 2003 was (i) 8.7 per cent. of GDP for the EU-15 and (ii) 8.3 per cent. of GDP for the 19 members of the EU-25 that are also members of the OECD.
	
		UK health expenditure as a percentage of GDP
		
			  200506 200607 
		
		
			 Public expenditure 7.3 7.6 
			 Private expenditure 1.4 1.4 
			 Total UK expenditure 8.7 9.0 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The public expenditure figures are taken from Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2005.
	2. Private spending is calculated in a similar way as for ONS health accounts. From 200405, it is assumed to carry forward as a constant share of GDP.
	3. The EU averages are simple averages of the figures for each country; they are not weighted by country population. For seven countries where 2003 figures were not available, 2002 figures were used instead.
	4. The 19 members of the OECD within the EU-25 are the EU-15 plus the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and the Slovak Republic.

HM Revenue and Customs

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what percentage of telephone calls to HM Revenue and Customs contact centres were (a) answered on the first call, (b) answered on the same day and (c) unanswered or had their calls aborted in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how HM Revenue and Customs distinguishes in its telephone target performance between calls answered at the first attempt and calls answered on the same day.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is as follows.
	1. No such distinction is made.
	2. (a) This information is not available
	(b) Callers to HMRC contact centres usually get through on the day they try though callers at the busiest times of the day may have to try more than once. HMRC estimate that in November 2005 the number of callers 1 to former Inland Revenue contact centres who spoke to an adviser on the day they called was around 99 per cent.
	(c) HMRC estimate that in November 2005 the number of callers 2 to former Inland Revenue contact centres whose calls were unanswered on the day they called was around 1 per cent. HMRC does not generally abort calls from callers other thanexceptionallywhere the caller is abusive.
	Caller 2 level information is not available for former HM Customs  Excise contact centres.
	1. Number of calls handled measured as a percentage of total unique telephone numbers calling within the day.
	2. Excludes the St. Austell Orderline and the On line Services helpline where the information is not available.

HM Revenue and Customs

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many HM Revenue and Customs officers are permanently based at Glasgow Airport.

Dawn Primarolo: Five officers are permanently based at Glasgow Airport dealing with regulatory matters. A pool of 68 Anti Smuggling Officers are based at Falcon House Paisley which is within one mile of the airport. They undertake operational anti smuggling work at Glasgow Airport according to identified risk. They are supplemented as necessary by anti smuggling staff based in Edinburgh and by officers on flexible anti smuggling strike forces.

Valuation Office Agency

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the national targets are for the Valuation Office Agency; and what the performance of relevant offices in the South West Region has been against those targets.

Dawn Primarolo: Within the South West Region are the Valuation Office Agency's South Western and Western Groups, covering local taxation work, and the South West District Valuer Services Unit covering other work. The national targets for 200405 and audited results (which are also available on the Agency's website at www.voa.gov.uk) are shown as follows, with a division between those offices within South West Region where applicable. National targets are also shown for the current year200506for which results will be published in the Agency's Annual Report in due course.
	
		Valuation office agency national targets and results2004/05
		
			 Agency wide key targets Agency target Agency result 
		
		
			 National resultapportionment to South West not applicable   
			 Value for money   
			 Improve productivity by 2.5% in 200405 2.5% 2.4% 
			 And achieve improvements of at least 15%, on 200405 figures, by 200708 15% by 200708 'On course' 
			 People satisfaction   
			 Improve staff satisfaction in working for the VOA in comparison with other places of work, based on annual survey results, by 1% 53% 58% 
			 Financial break even   
			 Recover full resource costs within Parliamentary Approved Estimates, including a return on capital of 3. 5 million from fees and charges  Achieved 
			
			 Local taxation key targets   
			 Valuation accuracy   
			 Contain reductions in the 2000 local rating lists to less than 7.5% in respect of compiled list appeals settled in 200405 7.5% 9.7% 
			 And to a maximum of 4.7% of the total compiled list rateable value over the entire life 2000 rating lists 4.7% 4.6% 
			 Council tax revaluation   
			 Prepare for the forthcoming revaluation of domestic properties in England by digitising data for 97.5% of properties by 31 March 2005 97.5% Achieved 
			 And, by 31 July 2004, evaluate whether the automated valuation model (AVM) can be utilised effectively for the banding of a minimum of 60% of dwellings 60% Achieved 
			
			 District valuer services key target   
			 Achieve an increased fee income of 19.2 million 19.2 million 19.4 million 
			 And ensure that its share of VOA costs is covered  Achieved 
		
	
	
		
			 Local taxation key targets Target South West Group Result Western Group Result 
		
		
			 Rating revaluation
			 Prepare for the forthcoming revaluation of non-domestic properties in England and Wales by producing draft rating lists by 30 September 2004 Achieved Achieved  
			 And compiled rating lists by 31 March 2005  Achieved Achieved 
			 Customer satisfaction
			 Maintain customer satisfaction, based on annual surveys, at 86% 86% 72.16% 76.19% 
			 
			 Local taxationother targets
			 Rating
			 Draft programmes for clearance of appeals available by 31 July 2004 31 July 2004 Achieved Achieved 
			 Publish final programmes by 1 October 2004 1 October 2004 Achieved Achieved 
			 And adhere to start date in 95% of cases 95% 98.85% 96.65% 
			 Appeals settledEngland 280,000 13,555 11,296 
			 95% of reports cleared within three months of receipt 95% 92.91% 95.3% 
			 And clear all those received within 200405 by the end of the year 100% 100% 100% 
			 Council tax
			 Clear council tax appeals within a maximum of 27,800 in England 27,800 3,015 1,554 
			 Provide a considered view to taxpayers on whether an adjustment to their banding is justified within two months of receipt of their appeal 100% 46.67% 64.1% 
			 Ensure that all appeals are ready for hearing within six months 100% 96.67% 96.61% 
			 Clear 95% of all reports within three months of receipt 95% 96.3% 97.36% 
			 And 95% of all reports, in respect of new properties, within two months of receipt 95% 91.55% 95.92% 
			 Ensure that 95% of new bandings are right first time 95% 94.17% 94.58% 
			 Customer service
			 Answer all telephone calls within an overall average of 10 seconds 100% 100% 100% 
			 Acknowledge all correspondence within five working days 100% 98% 99% 
			 Reply to 90% of correspondence, based on information held, within 15 working days 90% 82.74% 94.8% 
			 See all callers to our offices within five minutes 100% 100% 100% 
			 Achieve specified standards for valuation accuracy 90% 93.33% 93.3% 
			 Meet timeliness targets 90% 92.9% 92.5% 
		
	
	
		
			 District valuer servicesother targets Target District valuer SW result 
		
		
			 Inheritance tax   
			 Clear all initial appraisal cases within 20 working days 100% 93% 
			 Report agreed values for 75% of cases within three months 75% 83% 
			 Report agreed values for 90% of cases within six months 90% 95% 
			 Report agreed values for 95% of cases within nine months 95% 98% 
			 Capital gains tax   
			 Clear 90% of initial appraisal/information valuation cases within 30 working days 90% 79% 
			 And the remainder within three months 100% 95% 
			 Clear 90% of negotiation cases within six months 90% 66% 
			 And the remainder within 12 months 100% 90%

Disability

Danny Alexander: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether a Minister in her Department is planned to be nominated to take responsibility for liaison with the Office for Disability Issues; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: Anne Maguire, the Minister for Disabled People, has overall responsibility for the Office for Disability Issues (ODI). The Minister for Disabled People chairs a cross-government steering group which includes ministerial representatives from the Department of Health, Department for Education and Skills, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Department for Transport, and Department for Trade and Industry. The Minister in this Department nominated to take responsibility for liaison with the ODI will be Baroness Catherine Ashton of Upholland.

Fallujah

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what the (a) birth rate, (b) death rate and (c) infant mortality rate in Fallujah was in each year since 1990;
	(2)  what the population of Fallujah was in each year since 1990;
	(3)  what recent assessment his officials have made of the humanitarian situation in Fallujah;
	(4)  how many people (a) in total and (b) as a percentage of the total population in Fallujah had access to (i) clean water and (ii) electricity in each year since 1990 for which records are available.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has not made any recent assessment of the humanitarian situation in Fallujah.
	Humanitarian assistance and reconstruction in Fallujah is the responsibility of the Iraqi Government, with support from the United States. Significant progress has been made since military operations concluded, and further projects are under way to improve basic services. To date, Fallujah has received US$100 million for reconstruction, and US$103 million in housing compensation. The Iraqi Prime Minister recently approved a further US$75 million housing compensation, so that Fallujah will have received a total of $281 million. Power and water is currently estimated to be available to over 80 per cent. of the population as a rule; however, a recent fire at an electricity substation has restricted these services. Prior to April 2004, the population of Fallujah was estimated at 300,000; today the population is around 239,000.
	Statistics on birth rate, death rate and infant mortality in Fallujah since 1990 are unavailable. For Iraq as a whole, this data can be estimated from surveys, However, when information is required at a more local level, the only source of information in most developing countries, including Iraq, is a population census. The most recent census, conducted in 1997, only contains details at the Governorate or regional level. Town-level estimates of birth and death rates are unlikely to have been calculated at any stage.

Certificate in Education

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many teachers working in (a) higher and (b) adult education will be affected by the requirement to take a Certificate in Education in order to continue to be eligible to teach;
	(2)  what financial support is available to teachers aged (a) under 55 and (b) over 55 years who are working in (i) adult and (ii) higher education and who are required to take a Certificate in Education in order to continue to be eligible to teach.

Phil Hope: Since September 2001, all teachers appointed in Further Education colleges have been required by law to obtain the Further Education Teachers' Certificate.
	From September 2007, all new teachers within the 'whole' of the publicly funded FE learning and skills sector will be expected to undertake the new teaching requirement, which is to obtain Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills status and a full Licence to Practise. This is set out in the Government's November 2004 reform document Equipping our Teachers for the Future: Reforming Initial Teacher Training for the Learning and Skills Sector.
	Higher Education teaching staff are not within the scope of the current and future regulations referred to above for FE. But, from 2006, it is expected that all new teaching staff in Higher Education will obtain a relevant teaching qualification accredited against national professional standards for teaching in Higher Education.
	The Government expects to spend a total of approximately 18 million on incentives to recruit and retain FE teachers in 2005/06 and a similar amount in 2006/07. Three schemes available to eligible college teachers are Teacher Training Bursaries, Golden Hellos, and Key Worker Living. There are no age limits on these incentives.
	The Department has also funded, through the Higher Education Funding Council for England, a Golden Hello programme to encourage new entrants into teaching shortage subjects within Higher Education, totalling 20 million from 200304 to 200506.

Fire Risk (Schools)

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many responses were received by her Department to the public consultation on the draft guidance Building Bulletin 100, Designing and Managing Against the Risk of Fires in Schools.

Jacqui Smith: Public consultation on Building Bulletin 100 (BB 100), Designing and Managing Against the Risk of Fire in Schools, concluded on 18 November 2005 and 68 responses were received. A number of these included comments, some extensive, and they are now being analysed. We expect to publish the final analysis on the Department's website by 31 March.

Pathways to Work

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) of 12 December 2005, Official Report, column 1764W, on incapacity benefit, whether cost-benefit analysis has been carried out in relation to the Pathways to Work pilot scheme.

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is in Working Paper Incapacity Benefit ReformsPathways to Work Pilots performance and analysis a copy of which has been placed in the Library.
	The Pathways to Work districts are piloting new measures and innovative approaches to helping people with long-term illnesses or a disability to return to work. As pilot schemes, they are designed to test whether alternative approaches may be more effective than existing measures.
	Early results show off-flows from incapacity benefit at six months of around 48 per cent. in the pilot areas compared with around 40 per cent. nationally, an improvement of 8 percentage points, resulting in a reduction in the incapacity benefit case load which more than pays for the additional costs of the pilots.

Civil Servants

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what proportion of each civil service grade in his Department is located in each (a) region and (b) nation of the UK; what the average salary is for each grade; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: My hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office will write to the hon. Member with details for the civil service of the percentage of staff in post by region and grade responsibility and the median salary of staff in post by region and grade responsibility as at 1 April 2004. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the hon. Member for Walsall North will receive a reply to his letter of 2 November sent to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and transferred to his Department.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 12 December 2005
	The letter from the hon. Member was not a matter for the DTI and was transferred to the Department for Transport for reply on 6 December.

Departmental Expenditure

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the Department and its agencies have spent on (a) the design and production of new logos and (b) employing external (i) public relations and (ii) graphic design agencies in each year since 2000, broken down by project.

Alan Johnson: A comprehensive list of all projects is not held centrally and to do so could be done only at disproportionate cost. However, we can supply the following:
	(a) Design and production of new logos
	On identity development and design guidelines towards the rationalisation around the single DTI logo:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 200203 450,000 
			 200304 100,000 
			 200405 10,000 
		
	
	
		
			   
		
		
			 The re-branding of British Trade International (BTI) to UK Trade and Investment (UKTI): 
			 2003 600,000 
			   
			 The proposal to change the name of the DTI: 
			 2005 30,000 
		
	
	(b) Employing external:
	(i) public relations agencies
	Information provided from COI shows that the DTI spent the following amounts on:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 2002  
			 UKO4B 661,606.84 
			 Invest UK 126,282.39 
			 SBS 178,696.26 
			 Trade Partners 247,651.65 
			   
			 2003  
			 Trade Partners 546,312.99 
			 UKO4B 443,767.40 
			 Invest UK 447,412.30 
			 SBS 295,607.01 
			   
			 2004  
			 Dispute Resolution 68,405.05 
			 Renewable Energy 516,490.60 
			 Best Business Practice 338,443.29 
			 Best Practice 151,827.51 
			 Renewable Energy 548,703.98 
			   
			 2005 (to date)  
			 Consumer Direct 138,560.25 
			 UKTI 121,840.54 
			 SBS 19,406.95 
			 Consumer Direct 22,975.59 
			 Consumer Directevent 6,902.50 
		
	
	(ii) graphic design agencies:
	Accurate figures are not able to be supplied as budgets for this type of expenditure are not held centrally. To do so would exceed disproportionate costs.
	Letter from Claire Clancy, dated 17 January 2006
	I am responding to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.
	(a) Spend on the design and production of new logos is as follows:
	
		
			
		
		
			 2000 0  
			 2001 0  
			 2002 5,000 Re-branding project 
			 2003 0  
			 2004 530 Icon for PROOF (new product) 
			 2005 6,500 Icons for My Companies House 
		
	
	(b) Companies House does not employ any external agencies for public relations.
	External agencies have provided graphic design for our Annual Report and Accounts as follows:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 2000 n/a 
			 2001 n/a 
			 2002 8,000 
			 2003 9,000 
			 2004 9,912 
			 2005 9,963 
		
	
	n/a  not available
	Letter from Jeanne Spinks, dated 17 January 2006
	You asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the Department and its agencies have spent on (a) the design and production of new logos and (b) employing external (i) public relations and (ii) graphic design agencies in each year since 2000, broken down by project. I have been asked to reply in respect of the Employment Tribunals Service (ETS) which is an executive agency of the DTI.
	The Employment Tribunals Service has spent the following:
	(a) On designing and production of new logos since 2000 the Agency has spent10,407
	200001: 5,000 for design of Corporate Identity and new ETS logo
	200102: 4,982 for design of Corporate Identity
	200203: 425 for design of 'DTI Service' logo and boilerplate
	(b) (i) There has been no external expenditure on public relations since 2000.
	(b) (ii) Since 2000 the Employment Tribunals Service have spent the following employing external graphic design agencies44,328
	
		
			   
		
		
			 200001 15,514 
			 200102 4,560 
			 200203 4,358 
			 200304 5,396 
			 200405 7,970 
			 200506 6,530 
		
	
	Letter from Ron Marchant, dated 17 January 2006
	I am responding to this parliamentary question, tabled on 25 November 2005, regarding what the Department and its agencies have spent on (a) the design and production of new logos and (b) employing external (i) public relations and (ii) graphic design agencies in each year since 2000, broken down by project.
	
		
			  
			 The Patent Office 200203 200304 200405 200506 to end October 
		
		
			 The design and production of new logos 0 0 0 0 
			 Public Relations 101,398 111,963 102,125 59,755 
			 National Awareness Campaign   150,706 58,452 
			  
			 Graphic Design 
			 New Patent Literature 0 32,780 7,502 0 
			 Annual Report and Accounts 20,510 In House 12,175 3,533 
			 Business Advisor training packs 10,873 0 0 0 
			 Branding 0 1,453 0 0 
		
	
	Figures for 200001 and 200102 are not readily available and could not be prepared within the deadline set.
	Letter from Desmond Flynn, dated 17 January 2006
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of The Insolvency Service in respect of your question (2054/2005) asking what the Department and its agencies have spent on (a) the design and production of new logos and (b) employing external (i) public relations and (ii) graphic design agencies in each year since 2000, broken down by project.
	The Insolvency Service has not spent any money on the design and production of new logos or employing external public relations companies each financial year from 2000 to date.
	Letter from Martin Birdseye, dated 17 January 2006
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question regarding what the Department and its Agencies have spent on (a) the design and production of new logos and (b) employing external (i) public relations and (ii) graphic design agencies in each year since 2000, broken down by project.
	
		
			 000 
			 NWML total spend in year: 200001 200102 200203 200304 200405 200506 
		
		
			 On . . . .   
			 (a) Design and production of new logos 0 0 0 0 0 0.3(8) 
			 (b) (i) Employing external public relations 0 0 0 7 8k 0 
			 (c) (ii) graphic design agencies(9) n/a n/a n/a 6 11 3 
		
	
	n/a = not available.
	(8) NWML spent 300 in July 2005 developing a logo for a new service in respect of the enforcement of the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Regulations.
	(9) These costs include design for posters for exhibitions, exhibition panels, a biannual corporate newsletter sent to customers, design for leaflets and brochures, design for a CD cover for the NWML video, and design for the Annual Report and Accounts. In 200506, NWML has spent 3k YTD.

Lyons Inquiry

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department has made a written submission to the Lyons inquiry on local government finance.

Alan Johnson: I refer to the reply previously given to my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East and Saddleworth (Mr. Woolas) on 12 September 2005, Official Report, column 2431W.

Sick Leave

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of his Department's employees who are within one year of the official retirement age are on extended sick leave.

Alan Johnson: There are two employees in DTI HQ who have been on sick leave for at least three months and who are within a year, or later, of the normal retirement age. (normal retirement age is 60.)
	The DTI remains committed to managing sickness absence effectively and, where appropriate, to putting in place the recommendations of the 2004 Managing Sickness Absence in the Public Sector report to reduce long-term absence.

Sunday Trading

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent written representations he has received on the (a) economic and (b) social implications of liberalised Sunday trading hours.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We have received written representations from a range of stakeholders on the issue and welcome further views.
	DTI officials have commissioned an independent cost-benefit analysis of the case for further liberalisation of the Sunday trading laws.

Sunday Trading

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from business stakeholders concerning the proposed review of Sunday trading laws.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We have received representations from a range of stakeholders on the issue and welcome further views.
	DTI officials have commissioned an independent cost-benefit analysis of the case for further liberalisation of the Sunday trading laws.

Disabled Parking

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much revenue was collected through fines incurred by (a) parking in a disabled person's parking space and (b) the wrongful use of a disabled person's badge in Northern Ireland in 200405.

Shaun Woodward: The following table provides details of the amount of revenue collected through fines issued by police and traffic wardens for disabled parking offences in 200405.
	
		
			
			 Type of offence 2004 2005 
		
		
			 Illegal parking in a disabled person's bay 53,520.00 52,770.00 
			 Wrongful use of a disabled person's badge 270.00 330.00

Gabion Wall (Killyleagh)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress on reaching a decision on the Gabion wall at Killyleagh.

Angela Smith: The Planning Service remains committed to pursuing the necessary actions to ensure a satisfactory resolution to this matter.
	An Enforcement Order, requiring the removal of the unauthorised wall, was served on 2 August 2005. The applicant lodged an appeal against the enforcement notice, and the Planning Appeals Commission is expected to set a date for the hearing in due course.
	Separately, consideration of the current planning application is continuing and additional information has been requested from the agent.
	These parallel processes will continue to be pursued until a satisfactory outcome is achieved.

Unauthorised Encampments

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Unauthorised Encampments (Northern Ireland) Order 2005.

David Hanson: The Unauthorised Encampments (Northern Ireland) Order 2005, was made at Privy Council on 19 July 2005. However as the order cannot be fully effective until sufficient sites for Travellers are available I have decided to defer bringing the substantive provisions of the order into effect until I am satisfied that an adequate number of transit sites is operational in Northern Ireland.
	Responsibility for providing such sites falls to the Housing Executive and I am pressing it to ensure the necessary sites are available as soon as possible. I anticipate that five sites will be operational by the summer by which time I will review the situation with a view to enabling the necessary provisions. I believe this represents a fair and balanced approach.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued by courts in (a) North East Lincolnshire and (b) North Lincolnshire in each quarter since the penalty was introduced;
	(2)  what percentage of antisocial behaviour orders issued in (a) North East Lincolnshire and (b) North Lincolnshire have been issued to people under the age of 21.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the table.
	
		Number of antisocial behaviour orders issued by the courts, as reported to the Home Office where restrictions are imposed within North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire local government authority areas, by period and age, 1 June 2000(13)(14) to 30 June 2005 (latest available)
		
			  North East Lincolnshire council 
			  Age 1020 Age 21 and over Total Percentage under age 21 
		
		
			 July-September 2000 
			 October-December 2000 
			 January-March 2001 
			 April-June 2001 
			 July-September 2001 
			 October-December 2001 
			 January-March 2002 
			 April-June 2002 
			 July-September 2002 
			 October-December 2002 
			 January-March 2003 
			 April-June 2003 
			 July-September 2003 
			 October-December 2003 1  1 100 
			 January-March 2004 
			 April-June 2004 3  3 100 
			 July-September 2004 4 3 7 57 
			 October-December 2004 1 2 3 33 
			 January-March 2005 5 6 11 45 
			 AprilJune 2005 7 3 10 70 
			 Total 21 14 35 60 
		
	
	
		
			  North Lincolnshire council 
			  Age 1020 Age 21 and over Total Percentage under age 21 
		
		
			 July-September 2000 
			 October-December 2000 
			 January-March 2001  1 1 0 
			 April-June 2001 
			 July-September 2001 
			 October-December 2001 
			 January-March 2002 
			 April-June 2002 1  1 100 
			 July-September 2002 
			 October-December 2002 
			 January-March 2003 
			 April-June 2003  1 1 0 
			 July-September 2003 
			 October-December 2003 
			 January-March 2004 
			 April-June 2004 
			 July-September 2004 4  4 100 
			 October-December 2004 5 2 7 71 
			 January-March 2005 3 1 4 75 
			 AprilJune 2005 5 3 8 63 
			 Total 18 8 26 69 
		
	
	(13) Between 1 April 199931 May 2000 data were collected on aggregate numbers only by police force area (pfa). During this period no ASBOs were issued, as reported, within Humberside pfa (in which the North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire local government authority areas are located).
	(14) As from 1 June 2000 data collected centrally by magistrates courts committee (MCC) area by quarter. For the month of June 2000 no ASBOS were reported as being issued.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter dated 28 November 2005 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miss Sabrina Williams.

Charles Clarke: Baroness Scotland replied to the hon. Member's letter as duty Minister on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Home Department on 9 January.

Crime Statistics

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were (a) arrested for and (b) charged with a recordable offence in each year since 1995.

Hazel Blears: Statistics are collected on arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) by offence group, age, gender and ethnicity. Data available on the number of persons arrested for a notifiable offence can be found in Table AA of the HOSB Arrests for Recorded crime (notifiable offences) and the Operation of Certain Powers under PACE, http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hosb2105.pdf
	Information prior to 19992000 is not available.
	The statistics do not record what action followed the arrest and would only include arrests for a recordable offence if the offence was both recordable (on the Police National Computer) and notifiable to the Home Office. No separate statistics are collected by the Home Office on persons charged.

Humberside Police

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average response time to an emergency call to the police was in Humberside in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: Data on time taken to respond to emergency calls is not collected centrally. This is essentially an operational matter for the chief constable and this query could therefore be directed to Humberside Police.

Police

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department has issued to chief constables on the distribution of (a) police officers and (b) resources.

Hazel Blears: It is an operational matter for the chief constable of each area to decide how he or she wishes to deploy the available resources to best serve their communities. However in doing so chief constables must take account of nationally set targets on reduction of crime and service delivery.
	We are introducing national standards setting out the quality of service which members of the public can expect whenever they have contact with the police. Public satisfaction with the police has now become a part of how police performance is measured.
	We will give individuals and communities a voice in determining local policing priorities, engage communities in finding solutions to problems, and, where people are dissatisfied with the response to persistent problems, they will be able to secure a response from councils and the police. We want people to know who their local police officers are, and how to contact them. I have also pointed to the fact that every area will have a dedicated neighbourhood policing team by 2008.
	It is also the case that some resources are allocated directly to the local level, for example the BCU Fund, worth 50 million in 200506. This is aimed at BCU Commanders and is intended to help the police play a full and active role in the delivery of crime and disorder reduction partnership strategies. BCU Commanders may spend the money on a wide range of crime and disorder interventions, including target hardening activity focusing on repeat victims, tackling antisocial behaviour through interventions such as pub watch schemes, youth inclusion work including support programmes for young people and CCTV. The interventions might also include anti-drugs work.

Police

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the Walsh Group evaluation in November 2003 in relation to the drug testing equipment supplied to the police by Cozart Bioscience Ltd.

Paul Goggins: The Department received the research report An Evaluation of Oral Fluid Point of Collection Testing Devices by the Walsh Group (November 2003) which assessed the accuracy of drug testing equipment supplied by a range of manufacturers, including that supplied by Cozart Bioscience Ltd. to the police under contract from the Department. This report initially indicated that the Cozart equipment was not accurate.
	However, the authors of this report published an erratum in the July/August 2004 edition of the Journal of Analytical Toxicology where they stated errors in the reporting of opiates and cocaine results arising from the Cozart technology. Separate studies undertaken by the National Institute of Drug Abuse in the USA indicate that the Cozart technology is accurate.

Police

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the costs of the initial study into police force mergers undertaken by the Police Information Technology Organisation;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the costs of implementing new IT systems arising from the options under consideration for the merger of police forces (a) within the East of England region and (b) in each of the other regions.

Hazel Blears: A study initiated and sponsored by the Police Information Technology Organisation commenced in November 2005 to examine the impact on IT of potential mergers within the eastern region. The original estimate for the cost of the study was 110,000 and funding has been capped at 120,000. The study is due to be completed at the end of January with the findings expected to be reviewed, approved and published in February 2006.
	As part of the work flowing from the recent report on police structures Closing the Gap which was published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, the Home Office is examining the matter of cost of implementation of force restructuring on police IT and the eastern region study will assist in that evaluation.

Reoffending

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who had been placed in custody have re-offended in (a) Ruislip-Northwood constituency, (b) the London borough of Hillingdon, (c) Greater London and (d) England in each year since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: Re-offending rates, which are measured through convictions, are only currently available for England and Wales.
	The most recent re-offending data for adults were published in 'Re-offending of adults: results from the 2002 cohort' which is available through the Home Office's website (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/ index.htm). The report shows the proportion of offenders who re-offended within two years and were subsequently convicted. The conviction for the offence is counted even if it occurred beyond the two year follow-up period. Results are given for 2000 and 2002.
	Reconviction data for 1997 through 2000 were published in 'Prison statistics England and Wales 2002' and data for 2001 were published in 'Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2003'. Both of these are publications are available on the Home Office website. These series count only those convictions that were secured within the two year follow-up period.
	Reconviction rates should be used with caution as a number of different factors can influence them. Reconviction rates can be adjusted to take account of the changing characteristics of offenders and these adjusted rates are published on the Home Office's website. The most recent data show that there has been a reduction in re-offending for all offenders of 0.2 per cent. against the 2000 baseline. The Home Office Public Service Agreement target is to reduce re-offending by 5 per cent. by 2006.

Democratic Republic of Congo

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of (a) problems facing the oil industry in Muanda, in the Democratic Republic of Congo and (b) the impact of Angolese soldiers in that region; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: We are not aware of any reports of problems facing the oil industry in Muanda, nor of the presence of Angolan troops in Muanda. However, Angolan troops are conducting a bilateral training programme at Kitona in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the request of the Congolese Government.

Departmental Equipment

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) laptops and (b) mobile phones his Department bought in each year since 1997; and what the cost of each category of equipment was in each year.

Jack Straw: While core IT equipment is centrally provided, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) operates a devolved system of budgeting under which directorates and overseas posts have the freedom to buy a range of IT and other equipment to support their work. Laptop computers, in particular, are frequently bought from such devolved budgets and no central figures exist for the numbers used within the FCO. To obtain this information would incur disproportionate costs.
	Since 2003, officially supplied mobile telephones for use by the FCO in the UK are obtained under the central Government GTM contract owned by the Office of Government Commerce. Records available show that in the financial year 200405 the Department bought 269 mobile phones and 18 Blackberries at the prices specified under that contract. Prior to 2003, mobile phones were obtained under a variety of contracts, but there was generally no charge for the equipment supplied. Responsibility for contracts for mobile phones used by staff overseas is devolved to our overseas missions and to obtain the relevant figures would incur disproportionate costs.

EU Council

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) technical committees and (b) working parties of the EU Council of Ministers have been held since 1 July 1999; and how many were (i) attended and (ii) led by Scottish Executive officials in a UK capacity.

Douglas Alexander: In accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC (the Comitology decision), the Commission publishes an annual report on the workings of committees operating in accordance with arrangements set out in that decision. The report for 2004 (reference 14850/05, COM(2005)554) was published on 11 November 2005 and was deposited in Parliament on 1 December 2005 in accordance with the arrangements for the scrutiny of EU documents.
	We estimate that there have been nearly 5,000 working group meetings during the UK's presidency of the EU, many of which relate exclusively to reserved matters. We do not have figures for earlier periods and it would incur disproportionate cost to attempt to quantify how many have been held since 1 July 1999.
	The Scottish Executive do not keep records of attendance at working group or committee level, although where the subject matter of such groups is of sufficient relevance to the Scottish Executive then officials from either the Scottish Executive's EU Office in Brussels or visiting officials from Scotland will attend. Attendance is at the discretion of lead departments, the Scottish Executive being consulted where the matter is of devolved interest.

A and E Services

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what improvements have been made to the accident and emergency services in (a) the Sunderland Royal general hospital, (b) Hartlepool university hospital and (c) Durham university hospital since 2002; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: As at September 2005, over 99 per cent, of patients spent less than four hours in the accident and emergency (A and E) departments of the County Durham and Darlington acute hospitals national health service trust and the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS.
	Both NHS trusts have benefitted from improvements to their A and E departments since 2005. Initiatives include:
	a new discharge unit at the university hospital of North Durham to help smooth the discharge of patients from hospital;
	a local primary care trust initiative to provide extra support to local nursing homes with high rates of A and E attendances;
	additional staff recruitment for the A and E department at the university hospital of North Durham; extension of resuscitation facilities at the university hospital of Hartlepool;
	provision of secure paediatric facilities at the university hospital of Hartlepool together with an increase in the number of staff with specific paediatric nursing qualification; and
	additional patient monitoring equipment both for adults and children at the university hospital Hartlepool.
	The information relating to the City Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts is a matter for Monitor, the statutory name of which is the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts. The Chairman of Monitor will write to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Audiology Services

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether treatment will be defined as the fitting of a hearing aid if one is required in relation to the target due to be introduced in 2008 that no one will wait more than 18 weeks for treatment in audiology services;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the effects of the new 18-week target on NHS hearing aid users who are waiting to switch from analogue to digital hearing aids;
	(3)  whether the 18-week target for treatment in audiology to be introduced in 2008 will be limited in its application to those patients accessing audiology services by consultant referral.

Liam Byrne: Proposed principles and definitions to underpin the 18 weeks target are available at www.18weeks.nhs.uk The Department is currently collating the responses of a service-wide listening exercise on these proposals and will publish the outcome in 2006.

Capio Healthcare UK

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date Dr. Thomas Mann, chief executive of Capio Healthcare UK, left the employment of the NHS as director of the NHS national implementation team for Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTCs); on what dates the process for selection of Capio Healthcare UK to operate a group of ISTCs (a) started and (b) finished; and on what date her Department signed contracts with Capio Healthcare UK for ISTCs across England.

Liam Byrne: Dr. Thomas Mann left the post of director of the national implementation team in October 2003 and left the employment of the civil service on 29 February 2004.
	The procurement for independent sector treatment centres was launched in December 2002, when a series of advertisements were published in the then titled, Official Journal of the European Union, and is still ongoing. To date, Capio Healthcare UK has been awarded one contract in the programme for the provision of a national chain of treatment centres, signed on 13 May 2004. In addition to this procurement, Capio Healthcare UK were awarded a one-year contract for the provision of supplementary surgical activity on 25 May 2004.

Carers Special Grant

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was allocated to each county in Carers Special Grant in each year since 2000.

Liam Byrne: The data requested has been placed in the Library.

Child Health and Social Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2005, Official Report, column 1802W, on child health and social services, if she will make a statement on the increases in (a) high cholesterol, (b) heart failure and (c) diabetes in the last 10 years.

Caroline Flint: Information on the number of episodes of heart failure, diabetes and high cholesterol is shown in the table. Data prior to 199899 is not available and is therefore not included in the table.
	
		Count of finished consultant episodes for heart failure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Data for all national health service hospitals in England from 1998 to 2005
		
			  Finished consultant episodes 
			  Heart failure Diabetes High cholesterol 
		
		
			 199899 111,722 71,877 1,145 
			 19992000 110,367 72,241 1,977 
			 200001 106,080 72,352 2,831 
			 200102 104,694 69,120 4,455 
			 200203 107,471 68,232 5,546 
			 200304 105,569 68,099 6,640 
			 200405 106,567 71,195 9,772 
		
	
	Source:
	Hospital episode statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Group B Streptococcus Screening

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what analysis her Department has made of research and experience in other countries of Group B streptococcus screening during pregnancy;
	(2)  what guidance is given on when a patient should be advised that Group B streptococcus has been detected in a test.

Liam Byrne: It is for clinicians, in partnership with their patients, to decide on when and how to advise patients of test results. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' guideline number 36, Prevention of Early Onset Neonatal Group B Streptococcal Disease and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's clinical guideline, Antenatal Care: Routine care for the healthy pregnant women give guidance based on research evidence.
	The NHS Health Technology Programme has commissioned a study of different approaches to the management of Group B Streptococcus in pregnancy. A review of the international evidence forms part of this work.

Lymphoedema

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with lymphoedema in (a) Tamworth constituency, (b) Staffordshire, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Data on the incidence of lymphoedema is not available centrally.

NHS Gift Card Scheme

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what involvement her Department has had in the NHS Gift Card Scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 9 January 2006
	The Department has had no involvement in the NHS gift card scheme.

NICE Guidance

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what direction her Department has given to the NHS regarding the implementation of clinical guidelines emanating from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Jane Kennedy: Clinical guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are included within the national standards set out in Standards for Better Health (2004). NICE'S clinical guidelines are part of the developmental standards which national health service bodies are required to take into account in discharging their functions. The Healthcare Commission also takes these standards into consideration when undertaking their annual review of NHS bodies.

Pesticide Residue

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent (a) assessment she has made of and (b) reports she has commissioned into the health implications arising from the presence in food of a combination of (i) additives and (ii) pesticide residues.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 16 January 2006
	The independent Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) considered the health implications of mixtures of pesticides in 2002 and mixtures of additives in 2004. They advised that the health hazard due to mixtures of such chemicals at levels found in food is likely to be small. The COT report can be found on the Food Standard Agency's (FSA) website at: www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/report(indexed).pdf
	The FSA advises that it is funding research to meet the COT recommendations to investigate possible health effects of mixtures of chemicals, including a project on food additives and a programme on mixtures of pesticides. Details of this research can be found on the FSA's website at: www.food.gov.uk/science/research/researchinfo/foodcomponentsresearch/mixturesresearch/tlOprog/

Smoking

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps she is taking to improve access to smoking cessation services for hard-to-reach groups;
	(2)  if she will take steps to increase referral from the NHS and partner agencies to smoking cessation services;
	(3)  if she will expand the current capacity of NHS smoking cessation services.

Caroline Flint: The Department funded an evaluation of the national health service stop smoking services in England. The evaluation included an analysis of how well the services were doing in enabling access to the services of smokers from hard-to-reach groups. Results from the evaluation show that the NHS stop smoking services in England are successfully reaching smokers living in the most disadvantaged areas. The evaluation was published in a special supplement of the journal, Addiction in April 2005. A copy is available in the Library.
	The Department has also asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to look at two areas of smoking cessation: the first is for brief interventions and referral, the second is for optimal provision of services for smokers. The scopes for these two pieces of work are available on NICE'S website. In both cases the scopes place particular emphasis on looking at groups where smoking rates are high including manual working groups, pregnant women, low income/lone parents and homeless people.
	The Department ran a major marketing campaign during 2005 to raise awareness of local NHS stop smoking services. This campaign included television, press, radio and ambient advertising. As with all tobacco education campaigns, the campaign had a strong focus on the routine and manual audience. In February 2006, a new major campaign, promoting local NHS stop smoking services will be launched. This will again focus on the routine and manual group audience.
	To build on the continued good progress of the NHS stop smoking services in reaching and exceeding previous targets for helping smokers to quit, the Department set from April 2003 a more demanding national target of helping 800,000 smokers to quit by March 2006. To help meet this increased target, the services have expanded substantially, supported by extra investment of 138 million over the three years. The table shows the substantial and continued increase in capacity in NHS stop smoking services.
	
		NHS stop smoking service results 1999June 2005.
		
			  People setting a quit date through NHS stop smoking services Number who remained quit at the four week follow up with NHS stop smoking service 
		
		
			 19992000 14,598 5,761 
			 20002001 132,544 64,554 
			 20012002 227,335 119,834 
			 20022003 234,858 124,082 
			 20032004 361,224 204,876 
			 20042005 529,567 298,124 
			 l AprilJune 2005 140,177 73,396 
			 Total 1999June 2005 1,640,303 890,627 
		
	
	Source:
	Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Waiting Times

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to paragraph 67 of the document Commissioning an 18 week patient pathway: Proposed principles and definitions: A discussion document, what steps she is taking to ensure that the decision that subsequent treatment courses will not fall within the initial 18 week waiting target does not create an incentive for NHS trusts to make patients wait longer for subsequent treatment; and if she will publish information on these waiting times.

Liam Byrne: The Department is currently collating responses to the listening exercise on the proposed principles and definitions for 18 weeks, which closed on 8 December 2005. The conclusions drawn from the listening exercise will help inform the final principles and definitions, and will be published in 2006. As the principles and definitions are still under constant review until the time that they are published, we cannot presently give any further information about their content.
	While 18 weeks will be the maximum, most patient journeys will be much shorter than this. In particular 18 weeks does not replace other waiting times targets or standards where these are tighter than 18 weeks, for example, rapid access chest pain clinics. There will be other mechanisms to reduce the patient pathway in areas not included in 18 weeks, as outlined in the NHS improvement plan, and the 18 weeks maximum wait may be extended to other areas in the future.

Homelessness

Nick Harvey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps his Department is taking to address rural homelessness.

Yvette Cooper: Earlier this year, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published our future strategy on homelessness Sustainable Communities: settled homes; changing lives. The strategy contains our commitment to continue working to ensure that the needs of rural communities are met.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will continue to support all local authorities with additional resources to help them implement requirements of the Homelessness Act and tackle and prevent homelessness in their area. Rural authorities have received around 7 million in each year since 200304 and as confirmed last month over 7.5 million has been allocated to rural authorities for 200607 and 200708. In addition, the Homelessness and Housing Support Directorate in ODPM has appointed a specialist adviser from a local authority who is tasked specifically with promoting good practice in tackling homelessness in rural areas.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will continue to promote approaches that work in a rural context, where access to affordable housing can be more limited, where remoteness can act as a barrier to accessing relevant services and where there may be less developed partnerships.
	Through regional workshops and training the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will help the preparation of sub-regional homelessness strategies that link into the Regional Housing and county Supporting People strategies, and draw on the strengths of the Local Strategic Partnerships, to tackle the causes of homelessness in rural areas.
	The number of households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty in rural authorities during 200405 fell by 6 per cent. compared with 200304.

Local Government Finance

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the annual per capita allocation of revenue support grant was in Tamworth borough council in each of the last eight years; what the annual percentage increase was; and what the average per capita allocation was for English local authorities in each of the last eight years.

Phil Woolas: The following table shows formula grant per head for Tamworth, and all English local authorities for 199899 to 200506. Formula grant comprises revenue support grant, redistributed business rates and principal formula police grant.
	It should be noted that Tamworth only provides some services within their area; for example education, social services, highway maintenance, police and fire services are provided by other authorities. The all English local authorities column covers all services.
	
		
			  Tamworth All English local authorities 
		
		
			 199899 59.87 721.89 
			 19992000 60.37 753.00 
			 200001 61.98 778.19 
			 200102 64.85 804.47 
			 200203 66.77 806.51 
			 200304 72.54 892.49 
			 200405 70.26 930.64 
			 200506 74.52 983.15 
		
	
	The following table shows the percentage increase in formula grant per head year-on-year on a like-for-like basis for Tamworth, and all English local authorities for 199899 to 200506.
	Please note that the figures provided in the first table cannot be compared directly as there have been a number of changes in the funding and functions covered by formula grant over this period.
	
		Percentage
		
			  Tamworth All English local authorities 
		
		
			 199899 -6.1 1.4 
			 19992000 0.8 4.3 
			 200001 2.7 3.3 
			 200102 3.8 3.8 
			 200203 4.4 4.5 
			 200304 11.2 7.7 
			 200405 5.1 4.7 
			 200506 5.7 4.9 
		
	
	Please note that all of these figures are based on the respective year's settlement. In some years these figures have subsequently been subject to an amending report.